Open Thread: No Hope and Pocket Change for Young Americans

Young Americans, who were a key component of candidate Barack Obama's election strategy in 2008, have been having an awful time of it lately. According to two separate surveys, many young adults 18 to 29 are stuck in the awful employment market. The majority have a bachelor's degree but are not in jobs that require a college degree. Interestingly enough, the jobs which traditionally had been…
Matthew Sheffield
August 23rd, 2012 10:52 AM

Katie Couric: 'We Have Not Heard Back From Palin's People' About Her C

For those that have been sleeping or out of the country, Katie Couric has a new daytime talk show premiering next month. Likely to no one's surprise, she told NBC Tonight Show host Jay Leno Wednesday, "We have extended an invitation to Governor Palin" to appear. "So far, we have not heard back from their people" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
August 23rd, 2012 10:13 AM

Leno: Republicans Should 'Bring in Comcast' to 'Get Rid of Congressman

NBC Tonight Show host Jay Leno had a suggestion Wednesday for how the Republicans can get Missouri Congressman Todd Akin out of the Senate race for comments he recently made concerning rape. "Bring in Comcast - they'll get him out of there” (video follows with transcript and commentary):
Noel Sheppard
August 23rd, 2012 8:56 AM

Obama Misspells Ohio, WaPo Immediately Thinks It's Photoshopped

Imagine for a moment, if you will, Sarah Palin attending an event at Ohio State University.  She casually greets college aged supporters, and a group of excited, young students decide to spell out the word “Ohio” using the old YMCA routine.  The group is in place, arms readied, fans surrounding them armed with their cameras and cellphones.  Then this happens…
Rusty Weiss
August 23rd, 2012 1:13 AM

Obama Caught in Misspelling of a Four-Letter State, Wapo Tries to Resc

  Imagine for a moment, if you will, Sarah Palin attending an event at Ohio State University.  She casually greets college aged supporters, and a group of excited, young students decide to spell out the word “Ohio” using the old YMCA routine.  The group is in place, arms readied, fans surrounding them armed with their cameras and cellphones.  Then this happens…
Rusty Weiss
August 23rd, 2012 1:12 AM

AP-GfK Presidential Poll Cooking Ends Hiatus, Naturally Oversamples De

I was beginning to hold out hope that the Associated Press was tiring of its partnership with the polling firm GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. No such luck. The latest AP-GfK poll on the presidential race of 1,007 people of whom 878 are registered voters shows Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney 48% to 44%. That four-point lead is down from 10 points in May and six…
Tom Blumer
August 22nd, 2012 11:17 PM

Maddow: Abortion Foes Would Force Pregnant Woman to Bear 'Rapist's Bab

For years I have heard abortion enthusiasts contort themselves in knots to avoid saying "baby" when talking about abortion. Leave it to MSNBC's plucky Rachel Maddow to go where few liberals dare --  acknowledging, albeit indirectly, that abortion involves killing human life at its most vulnerable. (video after page break)
Jack Coleman
August 22nd, 2012 8:30 PM

Breaking Previous Pledge, Democrats Won’t Disclose Convention Donors

The so-called “people’s convention” is scheduled to commence on Labor Day in Charlotte, but the “most open and accessible (convention) ever” won’t be sticking to the theme of transparency after all. Despite an earlier vow to reveal all contributors, Democratic officials are now refusing to do so until federal disclosure documents have to be filed in mid-October. To its credit, the…
Ryan Robertson
August 22nd, 2012 7:29 PM

Former Newsweek Editor Warns: GOP Has Become 'Bible-Based,' Paul Ryan

Former Newsweek editor Howard Fineman appeared on Wednesday's Hardball and warned that the Republican Party has become a "faith-based," "Bible-based" political organization. Fineman also derided Paul Ryan as untrustworthy when it comes to considering science: "[Ryan] starts every consideration of public policy, not from the standpoint of science, but from the standpoint of faith." The…
Scott Whitlock
August 22nd, 2012 6:34 PM

Malkin: Debate Moderators for Obama

Can we stop calling the hosts of the presidential debates "moderators"? They're left-erators. It's time for the old media godfathers to end the pretense that they're fair and neutral observers of the American political scene. And it's time for the GOP to stop perpetuating these rigged exercises in futility. Last week, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the names of 2012's chosen…
Michelle Malkin
August 22nd, 2012 6:32 PM

CBS: Akin 'Put A Highlight on the Extreme End of the Abortion Debate

John Dickerson hinted on Wednesday's CBS This Morning that the only radicals in the abortion debate were on the pro-life side. During a discussion about the furor over Rep. Todd Akin's recent "legitimate rape" remark, Dickerson stated that "Congressman Akin...put a highlight on the extreme end of the abortion debate."                                 The political director's liberal slant came…
Matthew Balan
August 22nd, 2012 6:08 PM

Oops! MSNBC's Touré Neblett Says 'We Have - or the Obama Campaign Has

MSNBC's Touré Neblett had another rather telling slip of the tongue - this one of the Freudian variety - on The Cycle Wednesday. Less than a week after accusing Mitt Romney of engaging in the "niggerization" of Barack Obama, Neblett said, "We have - or the Obama campaign has - succeeded in, or attempted to succeed in, defining Romney early when Romney was undefined for many voters" (video…
Noel Sheppard
August 22nd, 2012 5:42 PM

NBC's Todd Blames 'Tea Party Effect' and GOP 'Infighting' for Akin Con

On Tuesday's NBC Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams brought on political director Chuck Todd to give a "damage assessment" for Republicans in the wake of the Todd Akin controversy. Todd attempted to blame the conservative grassroots for the uproar: "...the Tea Party effect....will maybe cost Mitch McConnell a shot at controlling the United States Senate. Their own infighting has done this." […
Kyle Drennen
August 22nd, 2012 5:40 PM

CNN Ties 'Pretty Embarrassing' Akin Controversy to Romney Campaign

In the wake of the Todd Akin controversy, CNN has not only tied the negative fallout to the Romney campaign and the Republican Party, but has also turned a critical eye to the party's "very far right-wing" pro-life platform. "I guess you're probably rubbing your hands with glee, aren't you?" Piers Morgan pandered to DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on Tuesday, concerning Akin's refusal to…
Matt Hadro
August 22nd, 2012 5:37 PM